1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a rotor braking device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a spinning reel rotor braking device that brakes a rotor, which is rotatively mounted on a reel unit of the spinning reel, in response to the pivoting of a bail arm, which pivots between a line-winding position and a line-releasing position.
2. Background Information
A rotor on a spinning reel is typically provided with a bail arm for guiding fishing line to a spool. The bail arm can assume a line-winding position, in which the fishing line is guided to the peripheral surface of the spool as the fishing line is being wound, and a line-releasing position, in which the bail arm is pivoted from the line-winding position so that it poses no hindrance when the fishing line is reeled out the spool during casting. The rotor is provided with a bail tripping device. The bail tripping device maintains the bail arm in the line-winding position and the line-releasing position, and returns the bail arm from the line-releasing position to the line-winding position when the rotor rotates in the line-winding direction.
A conventional bail tripping device is disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application H10-4839. This bail tripping device includes a toggle spring, a rod-shaped member, and a switching projection. The toggle spring is mounted to the rotor whose front end is interlocked with the bail arm in the vicinity of the pivot center thereof. The rod-shaped moving member has a front end that is interlocked with the bail arm in the vicinity of the pivot center thereof and a base end that moves back and forth with respect to the reel unit. The switching projection is provided on the reel unit so as to contact the moving member. The toggle spring toggles and biases the bail arm into two positions, and maintains the bail arm in these two positions. When the bail arm is pivoted into the line-releasing position, the moving member retreats to a position in which it contacts the switching protrusion. Then, when the rotor rotates in the line-winding direction, the moving member contacts the switching protrusion and pushes it forward, the toggle spring contracts due to this forward advancement, and the toggle spring returns the bail arm to the line-winding position.
A spinning reel having improved rotational transmission efficiency can be rotated easily in the line-winding direction. When the rotor rotates, the rotational orientation thereof tends to shift easily, even when the rotor has been rotated into a rotational orientation suitable for casting or thumbing.
In this conventional configuration, a braking member which contacts the reel unit and brakes the rotor is mounted on the moving member in order to prevent the rotation of the rotor in the line-releasing position. When the moving member is moved into the contact position, the braking member contacts the front surface of the reel unit and is compressed, thus braking the rotor. When the rotor is elastically braked like this and the bail is tripped, the rotor can be prevented from rotating and can also be rotated in the line-winding direction when necessary.
In this conventional configuration, the braking member is mounted to the moving member, and the rotor is braked by bringing the braking member into contact with the reel unit and compressing the braking member. Therefore, if the contact position of the moving member were to vary from front to back due to manufacturing or assembly errors, the amount of compression of the braking member would vary as well. If the amount of compression changes, the braking force on the rotor will also change, and thus the rotor cannot be braked smoothly. Accordingly, it has been considered providing an annular braking member on the reel unit, and moving the moving member in a direction perpendicular to the compression direction of the braking member from the end of the braking member towards an outer lateral surface, thereby bringing the moving member into contact with the braking member.
However, there are concerns that this configuration will produce irregularities in the braking force and make the braking force unstable because the moving member comes into contact with only one portion of the braking member. If the braking force becomes unstable like this, there are concerns that a consistent amount of braking force will not be produced, which in turn will give rise to a decrease in operability.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a rotor braking device for a spinning reel that overcomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.